Stop what you are doing, and make this vegan French onion lasagna right friggin’ now. This recipe makes 4 mini lasagnas, 2 small lasagnas or one medium lasagna. So you can decide how you want to serve it. I like to use my little oven safe handled bowls that I would normally serve French onion soup in. That makes 2 small lasagnas and I LOVE to eat it out of those cute bowls. Layers of thyme bechamel sauce, whipped ricotta and caramelized onions. Stacked with lasagna sheets in little bowls or a small baking dish. Cutting through the entire lasagna with your fork and getting a big bite of everything will be the best part of your day.
This recipe is slightly more time consuming than many of my other recipes, but still very simple. I promise the amount of time it takes is totally worth it. Caramelizing the onions takes the most amount of time, but it requires very little cooking skills. For this amount of onions, it takes about 25-30 minutes to caramelize. Then once the lasagna is all put together, the lasagna bakes for about 25-30 minutes. So all in all, it takes about 1 hour. Which believe me, you’ll be happy to spend the time to do it again and again!
While the onions caramelize you can make the ricotta and the bechamel. Then everything will be ready once the onions are done, and you can throw it all together. You can use oven-ready lasagna sheets, so you don’t have to cook them. However, I prefer using regular lasagna sheets and boiling them first. I think they cook more evenly that way, and you won’t have to worry about any under cooked noodles.
The Layers Are:
- Vegan Thyme Bechamel
- Lasagna Noodles
- Vegan Whipped Ricotta
- Caramelized Onions
- Vegan Mozzarella
- More Bechamel
- Repeat!
This vegan French onion lasagna is probably the most delicious thing I have tasted in a very long time! The first time I made it, I was immediately like, “Get me all the restaurants on the phone. They need to know about this.”
If you love vegan lasagna, you should try my Vegan White Lasagna Soup, Vegan Fried Lasagna or Vegan Spinach and Mushroom White Lasagna!
Vegan French Onion Lasagna
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions
- 2 Tablespoons Vegan butter or olive oil
- 3 Sweet onions, sliced thin
- 1 Tablespoon Agave syrup
Whipped Ricotta
- 1 Block(15oz.) Extra firm tofu
- 2 Tablespoons Nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- 2-3 Tablespoons Non dairy milk, I used oat milk
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Thyme Bechamel
- 3 Tablespoons Vegan butter, I used Earth Balance
- 3 Tablespoons All purpose flour
- 2 1/2 Cups Non dairy milk, I used oat milk
- 1 teaspoon Fresh thyme, just the leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
- Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Lasagna
- 1/2 Cup Vegan Mozzarella, I used Violife
- 12 Lasagna sheets, oven ready or pre-cooked
Instructions
- Make the caramelized onions first. In a large non-stick skillet, heat the vegan butter or olive oil on medium high. Then add the sliced onions.
- Saute, for a minute or two, then press the onions down into the pan in a thin layer. Reduce heat to medium, you can reduce more if needed, and let them saute without disturbing them for about 5 minutes. Then toss and press them back down into the pan again and leave for another 5 minutes. Repeat until they start to brown.
- Then drizzle the onions with the agave and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat the onions and continue to saute the onions until they are completely golden brown. The whole process takes about 25-30 minutes. Remove from heat.
- While the onions are caramelizing, make the ricotta. Drain the tofu and just using your hands, squeeze as much liquid out of the tofu as you can over the sink. Then add the tofu to a food processor or blender.
- Then add the nutritional yeast, the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the non-dairy milk and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Pulse the mixture on high until it is nice and smooth. If you are having a hard time blending, add the extra tablespoon of milk. Set aside.
- Next make the thyme bechamel. You can either wait until the caramelized onions are done, and use that same skillet once you remove the onions, or use another large skillet.
- Heat the vegan butter on medium high. Once it has melted, whisk in the flour to create a roux. Let it simmer for a minute, then add the non-dairy milk. Whisk thoroughly making sure there are no lumps of roux left. Then bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium low.
- Whisk constantly, until nice and thick, about 2-4 minutes. Then stir in the thyme, nutmeg and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Let simmer for another minute. Then turn off the heat, but leave on the stove until ready to use to keep it hot.
- Once the onions, ricotta, bechamel and lasagna sheets(either oven ready, or you have already cooked them according to package directions) are ready, preheat the oven to 375 degrees(F).
- Layer the lasagna. Using 4 ramekins, 2 small baking dishes(I use 5 inch round dishes), or a smallish baking dish(7 inch).
- Depending on how many baking dishes you are using, make sure you divide the filling accordingly. First add a thin layer of bechamel sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Then cover with lasagna sheets. I cut them with kitchen scissors to fit if necessary.
- Then spread that with the ricotta mixture, then spread a thin layer of onions on top of that, then sprinkle with a layer of vegan mozzarella, then drizzle with more bechamel. Repeat, the process, you should be able to do that for 5 layers. Then the last layer, place lasagna sheets on top, spread generously with the bechamel, then sprinkle with more mozzarella and a bit more onion.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot, bubbly and brown. Serve.
Nutrition
I’ve been feeling so helpless in these wild, uncertain times. I look to cooking as a situation I can control, and the opportunity to nourish those I love. I’ve cooked many of your recipes since the quarantine began, and all have been fantastic. This recipe, however, is something special. So comforting, rich, warm, bubbly, delicious. It brought some needed comfort to my tiny family in a time when anxiety and fear are running the show. Thank you. Black Lives Matter.
I also having been cooking a lot with my family from this blog recently. We discovered it awhile ago (the vegan waffles are our go to recipe) and we’ve never been disappointed with the recipes we’ve tried. Honestly, this blog has kept us sane these last few months by giving us something exciting and new to look forward to when this whole world is a mess. Thank you for this gift!
Hi Lauren, I am making the French Onion Lasagne tonight. I enjoy every recipe of yours I have ever made and have shared your website with others. I recently received your new book. Its a wonderful addition to my collection of thoughtful eating cook books. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much for your comment! It means a lot! You are so welcome and thank you for making my day!
Hi Lauren… I made this recipe last night and it was amazing, so delicious! I must also say that I am cooking/baking my way through your Southern Vegan cookbook.. I love it! Every recipe that I have made has been our favorite! You are a rock star!
Me encantan tus recetas y lo detalladas que están las instrucciones todo en general hace que sea fácil de seguir tus pasos.
Making this tonight. Can I assemble early and cook later? Love all your recipes!!!!
Can i make this with dried thyme?
Yes, you can use dried thyme, I would just use maybe like 1/2 a teaspoon. Dried herbs are always stronger in flavor than fresh.
Hi, I can’t wait to make this as I love all your other recipes. Just wondering if you think this would freeze alright? I’m looking to make a few recipes to have ready to go in the freezer when university and work gets busy.
Yes, I do think it would freeze and reheat well!
This is the best thing I’ve eaten in a while, definitely adding it to my regulars list, so so good thank you
I can’t wait to try this! What brand did you use for the mozzarella?
VioLife
This looks delicious 😋 I’m so going to make this !
The Lasagna noodles confuse me , do you cut the sheets into thin strips . Could I use tagliatelle instead ?
I just cut them shorter not thinner and then layered them. I think tagliatelle would work. You could probably just maybe put a clump of them in each layer. This lasagna does have solid sheet of noodle though. Not thin noodles together. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
I love caramelized onions, so I knew I had to give this one a try! My only complaint is the prep time was A LOT longer than expected. My onions took over an hour to cook, and my thyme bechamel wasn’t thickening up in a timely manner. I also created my own melty mozzarella cheese, but at least I did that while the onions were cooking. Overall it was about two hours of prep, then the half hour of baking. It is really delicious though, so it was worth it!
Can you link me a recipe for your own mozzarella cheese? I’ve been trying to find a food recipe for it! Thanks.
I caramelizad mine in the crockpot (low for 10 hours), so I didn’t have to spend all that time stirring.
4.5 stars. Made this wonderful recipe, and it was really fun to make some thing that is so different than what I normally do! It took me about an hour from start to end of assembly. The caramelized onions were divine! I used three onions, but they were small, and I wish I had added an additional one in. Also, although I had enough, I kind of wish I had made a little bit more of the bechemal sauce.
It was very good when we had it after taking it out of the oven. But I have to say, the leftovers at dinner time were even better, the flavors seem to really have marinated and gotten more rich
Hello! I would like to make this as the ‘star’ of Thanksgiving. What are your thoughts on making the day before up until cooking point, and then let it come up to room temp before cooking? Or maybe cook the day before and then reheat? Thank you! Also, I just ordered your book so I can make corn pudding for Thanksgiving. I have yet to find a vegan recipe that compares to the original so I’m very excited to try it!
You can definitely assemble them the day before and put in fridge, covered overnight and bake when you’re ready.
Quadrupled this recipe for Christmas dinner. Caramelizing that massive amount of onions in a slow cooker the day before [8 to hours on high] was a life saver. I added extra garlic and it was seriously bomb! The tofu ricotta is so good, even eating by itself tastes and felt like the real thing. My omnivore kids loved it. I’ll be making this again!
Can I use unsweetened almond milk instead of oat milk for this recipe?
Any non-dairy milk works!
The flavors in this dish are incredible. I made this a full lasagna with 4 layers of noodles and am so happy to have leftovers for a while. It also took me over 2 hours from slicing onions to putting the dish on the table. Worth it if you have the time, but there’s no rushing the caramelization of the onions that makes this dish so delicious.
This is such an amazing meal. I added a layer of impossible meat with a thick no beef base gravy. It’s like a party in my mouth.
Hi Lauren! I loooove your recipes. A friend is about to have a baby so, I’m wondering if this can be made ahead of time and put in the freezer until needed? Looking forward to making this recipe.
I want to make this but am allergic to soy. And nuts…could I use something else for the ricotta? This looks like a winner.
Delish! I think it’s the first time I actually caramelised onions correctly!
This lasagna is SO GOOD. I’ve made it a couple times, including once as our special Christmas dinner. So decadent and delicious.
Making this for the second time! Love it!
This dish is the bomb! I have yet to make a dish from the Rabbit & Wolves site that wasn’t delicious!
Could have used just a bit more bechamel sauce, which I only mention as I saw somebody else made the same comments but I did use no boil noodles, I think if had used regular noodles and cooked them first it would have been just perfect as is!
I need to avoid soy, do you have an alt. Ricotta recipe that you like, that’s say free? Thanks!
Good! Reeally rich. I’m gonna play around with it some more though 🙂